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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — certain
  4. kid — child
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — of water
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com